Index
Athletico-PR 1×0 Corinthians
As usual, the Arena da Baixada was packed and fervent, supporting Furacão in another match, this time against the inconsistent Corinthians, who are trying everything to shake off their bad form.
Athletico took the field with: Bento, Pedro Henrique, Thiago Heleno, and Zé Ivaldo, Hkellven (Madson), Erick, Fernandinho (Hugo Moura), and Christian, Victor Bueno (Cuello), Cannobbio (Terans), and Vitor Roque (Arriagada).
With the crowd pushing Athletico forward, they started off pressing and putting a lot of pressure on Timão. Within three minutes of the game, three goal opportunities had already occurred, with the third one being the clearest. After a play from the right side, the ball fell to Vitor Bueno at the edge of the box, and the midfielder unleashed a powerful shot that hit the crossbar.
Furacão continued their relentless pressure, causing Corinthians to make many mistakes in passing and accumulating good chances. Meanwhile, Timão tried to break away with Roger Guedes, but the red and black defense was well-positioned and attentive in the game.
After the first 15 minutes of the first half, Corinthians managed to slightly reduce Athletico’s momentum, mainly by committing tactical fouls and improving their ball possession. However, they couldn’t create anything substantial enough to disturb the excellent and promising goalkeeper Bento, who practically watched the entire game as a spectator.
At the 35th minute, after a good play by Christian, the midfielder crossed the ball to the far post, and Khellven, being very clever, realized he wouldn’t be able to control it and headed it to Vitor Roque. The young prodigy anticipated Cássio’s arrival and placed the ball into the back of the net, making it 1-0 for CAP. It was the 9th set-piece goal conceded by Alvinegro in the Brasileirão 2023.
After the goal, Timão tried to react but was stopped by the solid Athletican defense. On the other hand, Athletico, remaining calm and disciplined, made good use of the spaces and had two missed chances and a goal disallowed by VAR. There was a great header from Vitor Bueno that hit the crossbar and the goal line but didn’t go in.
In the second half, Corinthians had the first five minutes for themselves but couldn’t create many dangerous opportunities. From then on, Athletico managed the score well and still had good chances to extend their lead, although they didn’t capitalize on them.
Once again, Athletico demonstrated their strength at home and in front of their fans. With this victory, they climbed to the 9th position, while Corinthians continues to seek a streak of wins to escape their bad form. With the loss, Timão sits in 15th place, just one point above the relegation zone.
Fluminense 2×1 Bahia
Fluminense hosted Bahia at Maracanã Stadium with the aim of getting back to winning ways and playing the captivating football that enchanted Brazil at the beginning of the 2023 season. Keno’s return as a starter and the excellent performances of Pirani and Lelê were crucial for the good victory of the “Tricolor das Laranjeiras.”
Fluminense lined up with: Fábio, Samuel Xavier, Nino, David Braz, and Marcelo (Felipe Andrade), Martinelli, Lima, and Gabriel Pirani (Guga), Arias, Lelê (Cano), and Keno (Ganso).
Meanwhile, Bahia took the field with: Danilo Fernandes (Matheus Claus), Cicinho (André), Kanu, Vitor Hugo, and Jhoanner Chávez, Acevedo, Rezende (Daniel), Kayky (Arthur Sales), Cauly, and Thaciano, Vinícius Mingotti.
Fluminense started the game with a frenetic pace, exchanging passes well and applying instant pressure when losing the ball. Within the first 10 minutes of the game, they had at least 4 chances to open the scoring, mainly due to the beautiful game that Keno, Arias, Pirani, and Lelê were playing, bringing a lot of dynamism to the Tricolor attacks.
Lelê found a lot of space left by Bahia, which was surprising since they closed those spaces well in their midweek game against Palmeiras. The most dangerous moment so far was a shot from Marcelo inside the box, which was cleared off the line by Kayky’s header, preventing the ball from heading towards Bahia’s goal.
Fluminense continued to dominate the game, with Lelê missing another chance and Pirani striking a beautiful shot that skimmed the crossbar. Bahia, on the other hand, tried to escape on the counterattacks, and it was on one of those occasions that they almost opened the scoring. Cicinho, found by a beautiful long cross from Thaciano on the left, received the ball on the right side and unleashed a powerful shot that went wide.
Fluminense tried to break the deadlock in every way but struggled with their finishing. However, it seemed that they would find the back of the net at any moment. However, it was Bahia who found it first. After a beautiful counterattack from the left, Kayky made a run and delivered an excellent cross to Mingotti, who arrived at the far post and struck a first-time shot into the back of the net, making it 1-0 for Bahia.
Almost immediately after Bahia’s goal, defender Nino made a strong tackle from behind on the goalscorer Mingotti’s calf. The referee promptly stopped the game and cautioned the Tricolor center-back with a yellow card. However, the VAR recommended a review, and the referee changed his decision, showing a red card to Nino, reducing Fluminense to ten men.
The second half began with Fluminense trying to regain the momentum they had before Bahia’s goal, now made more challenging with one player less. However, to everyone’s surprise, Flu managed to do it. Just three minutes into the second half, Samuel Xavier played a somewhat casual ball into the box. Cicinho attempted to clear it but made a poor contact, presenting it to the prolific scorer Lelê, who didn’t miss and headed the ball into the net, equalizing the score to 1-1 and causing the Maracanã to erupt with excitement.
Fluminense had everything going for them, pushing their lines forward, maintaining pressure, and playing mostly in Bahia’s half. The turnaround came almost immediately when David Braz found a great pass through the middle to Pirani. The youngster played it to Keno, who attacked the box and returned the pass to Pirani, who finished with class to complete the comeback for Fluminense.
The game cooled down until the 30th minute when Fluminense, on a fantastic counterattack, managed to create a scoring opportunity with Lelê’s shot. In the rebound, Pirani struck the crossbar. Five minutes later, Bahia threatened with a beautiful pass from Daniel to Chávez, the full-back who burst into the left side of the box and unleashed a powerful shot towards Fábio, who made a secure save.
In the following play, Bahia kept the ball circulating around Fluminense’s area for a while until it fell to Mingotti, who fired a left-footed rocket towards the goal. Fábio made a marvelous save with his feet to secure the victory for the “Tricolor das Laranjeiras.” What a match we had on Saturday night at Maracanã.
Fluminense rediscovered their good form and climbed to 5th place with the win, while Bahia remained in 14th place.
Fortaleza 2×1 Atlético-MG
Fortaleza wins at Castelão and surpasses Atlético-MG in the standings.
Fortaleza started with: João Ricardo; Tinga; Marcelo Benevenuto; Titi; Bruno Pacheco; Caio Alexandre, Hércules (Lucas Sasha); Yago Pikachu, Pochettino (Calebe), Thiago Galhardo (Guilherme), and Lucero (Lucas Crispim).
Meanwhile, Atlético-MG began with: Everson; Saravia, Bruno Fuchs (Igor Rabello), Jemerson, Guilherme Arana; Battaglia; Zaracho (Igor Gomes), Hyoran (Edenílson); Pavón (Vargas), Hulk (Alan Kardec), and Paulinho.
In the first half, the match was dull, with no clear opportunities. However, in the early minutes of the second half, Hulk had two chances, forcing good saves from João Ricardo.
At the 8th minute, it was Fortaleza who opened the scoring. Thiago Galhardo played a low cross, Jemerson deflected it, the ball went up, and Pochettino won the aerial duel against Saravia, scoring the first goal of the match.
Fortaleza extended their lead at the 16th minute. Bruno Pacheco took a free kick into the box, Titi flicked it towards the middle, and Tinga struck it first-time, scoring the second goal for Leão do Pici.
Atlético attempted a comeback and managed to reduce the deficit at the 41st minute. After the loose ball from a corner kick, Edenílson took a shot and Alan Kardec deflected it in the small area, setting the final score of the game.
With the victory, Fortaleza rises to the 8th position, while Galo remains in the 10th place.
(Photo: Pedro Souza/Atlético)
Cruzeiro 1×0 São Paulo
Cruzeiro wins with an own goal by Rafinha at Independência.
Cruzeiro: Rafael; William, L. Oliveira, Reynaldo (Neris), Marlon; Jussa, F. Machado (Ian Lucas), M. Vital (Neto Moura); Wesley (Stênio), B. Rodrigues, Gilberto (Henrique Dourado).
São Paulo: Rafael; Rafinha, Arboleda, Beraldo, and Caio Paulista (Marcos Paulo); Pablo Maia, J. Méndez (David), Rodrigo Nestor (Rodriguinho); Wellington Rato (Juan), Alisson (Luciano), and Calleri.
Early in the match, at the 3rd minute, Cruzeiro opened the scoring. Willian crossed from the right and Rafinha attempted to clear but ended up scoring an own goal.
São Paulo had an impressive chance at the 35th minute. Rafael Cabral made a diving save to deny Calleri’s header and then stopped Nestor’s shot on the rebound.
At the 43rd minute, the Cruzeiro goalkeeper shone once again. Rato made a great play on the right, cut inside, and took a shot. The ball deflected off Cruzeiro’s defense, but Rafael Cabral reacted quickly enough to prevent Tricolor from scoring.
In the second half, São Paulo continued to push forward and nearly scored at the 5th minute. Caio Paulista crossed the ball, Calleri headed it, and the Cruzeiro goalkeeper made another save.
Tricolor kept the pressure on but couldn’t overcome Rafael Cabral, and the game ended 1-0.
With the victory, Cruzeiro gets back to winning ways after 7 matches in the Brasileirão and climbs to the 12th position, while São Paulo remains in the 11th place.
Photo: Iconsport
Grêmio 5×1 Coritiba
Grêmio thrashes Coritiba and becomes the runner-up.
Grêmio took the field with: Gabriel Grando; João Pedro, Bruno Uvini, Kannemann, Reinaldo (Cuiabano); Villasanti, Carballo, Bitello, Cristaldo (Nathan), Vina (Bruno Alves); Luis Suárez (André).
Coritiba started with: Gabriel; Jean Pedroso, Kuscevic, Bruno Viana; Natanael, Andrey (Matheus Bianqui), Bruno Gomes, Marcelino Moreno (Boschilia), Jamerson; Alef Manga, Zé Roberto (Rodrigo Pinho).
In the early stages of the game, Coritiba was the team creating the best opportunities, demanding good saves from Gabriel Grando in Marcelino Moreno and Natanael’s attempts.
At the 30th minute, Reinaldo took a shot, and the ball deflected off Natanael’s arm. After VAR review, the referee awarded a penalty. Cristaldo stepped up and blasted the ball straight down the middle to open the scoring for the Grêmio side.
Coxa reacted, and at the 40th minute, Alef Manga made a beautiful play, hitting a well-placed shot from the edge of the area to equalize the score.
Grêmio regained the lead early in the second half, at the 2nd minute. Suárez crossed the ball, and Villasanti headed it into the net.
The Immortal Tricolor scored their third goal at the 8th minute from a short corner kick. Bitello received the ball from João Pedro and placed a shot into the net.
At the 20th minute, Reinaldo quickly took a free-kick and launched Suárez, who shielded the ball and placed it in the corner of the net, scoring Grêmio’s fourth goal.
Finally, André received the ball on the left, made a run, and attempted a cross. No one touched the ball, and it went into the back of the net.
With the thrashing, Grêmio is now the new runner-up in the Brasileirão, while Coritiba remains at the bottom of the table.
Photo: Maxi Franzoi/Agif/Gazeta Press
Palmeiras 0x1 Botafogo
With almost 40,000 spectators at a packed Allianz Parque, Palmeiras hosted Botafogo in one of the most important matches of the 2023 Brasileirão, as it was the leader against the second-placed team. It was a chance for Verdão to close the gap or for Fogão to further extend their lead at the top of the table.
Palmeiras entered the field with: Weverton, Mayke (Endrick), Luan, Gustavo Gómez, and Piquerez, Zé Rafael, Richard Ríos (Flaco López), and Raphael Veiga (Jhon Jhon), Artur (Luis Guilherme), Rony, and Dudu (Bruno Tabata).
On the other hand, Botafogo came with: Lucas Perri, Rafael (Di Placido), Adryelson, Victor Cuesta, and Hugo, Marlon Freitas, Tchê Tchê (Danilo Barbosa), and Eduardo, Júnior Santos (Segovia), Tiquinho Soares (Mathes Nascimento), and Victor Sá (Luis Henrique).
The game started with both teams studying each other, and Palmeiras trying to break through Botafogo’s solid defense on the wings, which was not possible due to the excellent performance of fullbacks Rafael (who accompanied Dudu in all plays) and Hugo, as well as the great defensive positioning of the three midfielders of Botafogo.
Nevertheless, Palmeiras kept trying and managed to create some opportunities, but struggled with the final touch, making it difficult to create clear chances. On the other hand, Botafogo played a pragmatic and well-thought-out game, defending with two solid lines of four, usually in a deep position, while also crowding the midfield, preventing Palmeiras from playing through the center.
This was evident in the below-par performances of Raphael Veiga and Richard Ríos, who were supposed to be responsible for creating plays through the middle.
Botafogo would then regain possession and try to counterattack, but Palmeiras’ defense was also solid, giving few chances for Fogão to shoot in the first half. However, at the 27th minute, after a free-kick, Zé Rafael attempts to clear the ball with a header, but it falls to the goal scorer, Tiquinho, who controls it, cuts to the left, and unleashes a low, curved shot. Weverton gets a touch on the ball, but it’s not enough to prevent Botafogo from scoring, making it 1-0 for Fogão.
Towards the end of the first half, Palmeiras seemed to improve and created good overlapping plays, especially on the right side. At the 30th minute, Artur receives the ball on the right, enters the box, and finds Raphael Veiga unmarked. The midfielder tries to attack the ball with a sliding attempt, but the shot lacks power for Lucas Perri’s save.
Palmeiras continued to push forward, and at the 39th minute, Veiga takes a free-kick inside the box, the ball falls to Zé Rafael, who finds Ríos. The Colombian crosses the ball with a curling effect into the box, and finds Gómez, who scores with a diving header. However, the joy for Palmeiras was short-lived as the VAR checked for offside and, despite the close lines, it ruled it as offside.
From that moment on, it seemed like Palmeiras lost some of their momentum, while Botafogo gained more confidence to defend strongly and counterattack.
The second half began with Palmeiras being more aggressive but lacking coordination, while Fogão remained pragmatic and solid. The substitution of Segovia for Junior Santos during halftime was essential for Botafogo to improve their counterattacks. They even missed two clear chances after good plays down the right with the diminutive Segovia.
On the other hand, Palmeiras kept trying and trying but without success. Then, at the 36th minute of the second half, Flaco López was pushed inside the box, resulting in a penalty for Verdão. Naturally, it was Raphael Veiga, one of the best penalty takers in history, who stepped up to take the shot. However, Veiga struck the ball strangely, with a trivela-like shot, sending it wide. It was an unrecognizable shot from Veiga. Did he really take that penalty?
With that miss, Palmeiras practically squandered the chance to equalize or even turn the game around. Nonetheless, they continued to push until the final whistle. Youngster Luis Guilherme came on strongly from the right and tried to make a difference, but it wasn’t possible.
With the defeat, Palmeiras saw Botafogo extend their lead by 8 points and, on top of that, they also dropped two positions in the standings due to victories by Grêmio and Flamengo. Palmeiras now sits in 4th place in the 2023 Brasileirão. On the other hand, Botafogo is overjoyed, more dominant than ever, with a 7-point advantage over the second-placed team.
América-MG 1×2 Internacional
Internacional comes from behind to defeat América-MG at Independência.
América-MG took the field with: Matheus Cavichioli; Marcinho; Wanderson; Iago Maidana; Danilo Avelar; Lucas Kal (Emmanuel Martínez); Juninho, Breno (Benítez); Everaldo (Alê), Aloísio (Wellington Paulista), and Felipe Azevedo (Rodrigo Varanda).
Meanwhile, Internacional started with: John Victor; Igor Gomes; Rodrigo Moledo; Nicolás Hernández; Renê; Rômulo; Johnny, Pedro Henrique (Alemão); Jean Dias, Luiz Adriano (Gustavo Campanharo), and Wanderson (Thauan Lara).
América had a better start to the match and had the first chance with Felipe Azevedo, who took a shot from outside the box that was saved by John. At the 18th minute, Aloísio took a free-kick, the ball deflected off the wall, Everaldo battled with Jean Dias, and it fell to Juninho, who calmly placed it in the corner to open the scoring.
The Colorado equalized at the 17th minute of the second half. Wanderson crossed the ball, Johnny touched it to Jean Dias, who was all alone and scored with a backheel flick.
At the 23rd minute, Marcinho attempted a cross from the right but surprised John, coming close to scoring a goal. Inter responded with a shot from the edge of the box by Wanderson, which narrowly missed the post.
The turnaround for Inter came at the 39th minute. Wanderson played a pass to Alemão, who outpaced Marcinho with his speed and hit a low cross-shot to beat Cavichioli and seal the final score of the match.
With the victory, Inter rises to the 6th position, while Coelho remains in the 19th place.
Bragantino 2×0 Goiás
Bragantino comfortably defeats Goiás at Nabizão.
Bragantino took the field with: Cleiton; Eduardo, Luan Patrick, Juninho Capixaba (Jhonny), and Jadsom (Aderlan); Matheus Fernandes (Nathan), Lucas Evangelista, and Eric Ramires (Gustavinho); Sorriso, Vitinho, and Sasha (Thiago Borbas).
Meanwhile, Goiás started with: Tadeu; Maguinho (Bruno Santos), Lucas Halter, Bruno Melo, and Sander; Zé Ricardo, Morelli (Dodô), and Guilherme; Palacios (Alesson), Matheus Peixoto (Lucão), and Apodi (Matheusinho).
In the opening minutes of the match, Braga threatened with Sasha, forcing saves from Tadeu and Eduardo Santos, who hit the crossbar.
After a mistake in Goiás’ ball distribution, Ramires found Sasha, who placed a perfectly angled shot, putting Massa Bruta in front and opening the scoring at the 6th minute.
At the 29th minute, Sasha received a pass from Ramires inside the box and hit the crossbar again. It was all Bragantino, and the second goal was scored in added time of the first half. Vitinho dribbled on the left side and crossed low for Sorriso to finish on the other side of the area.
In the second half, Braga continued to dominate while Goiás struggled to create chances. The home team threatened with long-range shots from Lucas Evangelista, and the game ended 2-0.
With the victory, Bragantino occupies the 7th position, while Goiás remains in the 18th place.
Photo: Ari Ferreira / RBB / Divulgação CP
Santos 2×3 Flamengo
In a 5-goal match, in a crowdless Vila Belmiro, Flamengo defeats Santos, sinking the fish even further.
Santos lined up with their starting team, featuring: João Paulo; João Lucas, Messias, Joaquim, and Gabriel Inocêncio; Rodrigo Fernández, Dodi, and Lucas Lima; Mendoza, Soteldo, and Marcos Leonardo.
Meanwhile, Mengão took the field with: Matheus Cunha; Wesley, Fabrício Bruno, Léo Pereira, Ayrton Lucas; Erick Pulgar, Thiago Maia, Gerson, Everton Ribeiro (Cebolinha), Arrascaeta, and Gabi (Pedro).
The game started with Flamengo having some control. It was clear that the Santos players were uncomfortable, playing under a lot of pressure, even without the fans in the stadium.
Furthermore, Flamengo was a different team compared to the previous round, where they were significantly inferior to Red Bull Bragantino, losing 4-0, a score considered modest, especially considering the opportunities created by the team from São Paulo’s interior.
Nevertheless, Flamengo imposed their style of play, with high pressure and a high volume of play.
Santos’ defense, which hasn’t been performing well for some time now, failed to clear a ball crossed into the box in the 22nd minute. In the resulting scramble, Everton Cebolinha found himself with a clear shot and opened the scoring.
Surprisingly, Santos grew stronger in adversity and, despite being behind, sought to close ranks and hit on the counter-attack.
In this way, Marcos Leonardo launched Soteldo into space, who found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Although he could have taken the shot, he made a beautiful pass for Speedy Mendoza to appear at the far post and equalize at the 40th minute.
In the second half, early on, at the 50th minute, Gerson delivered a sublime cross that found Everton Ribeiro, who, at 1.74m, rose above the Santos defensive line and scored a goal.
Santos reacted immediately, as two minutes after the goal, Lucas Lima took a free kick, Messias deflected it, and Rodrigo Fernandez tapped in the rebound from the Flamengo goalkeeper.
Despite Santos’ ability to mount a comeback, the game showed that whenever Flamengo decided to impose a stronger rhythm, the alvinegro defense would easily crumble, and that’s exactly what happened.
Five minutes after Santos’ goal, in the 57th minute, Pulgar received the ball inside the box, completely unmarked, and placed a shot into the corner, leaving João Paulo with no chance.
Santos had chances to equalize, and Flamengo could have extended their lead, but the game ended that way.
Santos is in 13th place, without a win in an astonishing 10 matches. They will play against Blooming midweek in the Sudamericana, but the game means absolutely nothing since both teams have already been eliminated from the competition.
On the other hand, Flamengo jumped to 3rd place and is recovering from the brutal defeat suffered in the previous match.
Mengão will play midweek against Aucas at Maracanã. A draw secures their qualification for the next phase of the Copa Libertadores.
(Photo: Jota Erre/Photo Premium/Gazeta Press)
Cuiabá x Vasco
Vasco prevails over Cuiabá and returns to winning ways after 10 games.
Vasco took the field with: Léo Jardim; Pumita Rodríguez, Robson, Léo, and Lucas Piton; Jair, Marlon Gomes (Zé Gabriel), and Alex Teixeira (Eguinaldo); Gabriel Pec (Paulo Henrique), Rayan (Erick Marcus), and Figueiredo (Galarza).
Cuiabá: Walter; Raniele, Alan Empereur, Marllon, and Rikelme (PK); Fernando Sobral (Ceppelini), Filipe Augusto (Ronald), and Denilson; Jonathan Cafú (Isidro Pitta), Welington Silva (Nicolás Quagliata), and Deyverson.
The match was of poor technical level, with few dangerous chances, especially in the first half. Firstly, at the 2-minute mark, Rikelme cut through the defense from the left but shot straight at the middle of the goal, without difficulties for Léo Jardim. In the following minute, Figueiredo received a cross from Lucas Piton on the left side, controlled the ball, and took a strong shot, but it went right of Walter’s defended goal.
In the added time of the first half, Vasco created a good play that involved several players, and in the end, Jair passed to Pec in the box, who took a shot, but the ball deflected off the defense and went out.
In the second half, Vasco came back stronger, and Alex Teixeira missed an incredible chance at the 4-minute mark when he received a low cross from Gabriel Pec in the small box but sent it wide.
At the 27-minute mark, the penalty that decided the match came. Figueiredo was brought down inside the box after Raniele’s step on him. The referee didn’t initially call the foul, but he was called to the VAR booth and changed his mind. Jair took the penalty kick with skill, placing it in the top corner to open the scoring.
With the victory, Vasco climbs to the 19th position, while Cuiabá remains in the 16th place.
Table Brasileirão
Photo: Globoesporte
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Written by Henry Miller, Vitor Miller and João Felipe Miller.
